The torch of Stony Plain’s cowboy legacy will burn bright for years to come.

This was the message organizer Graeme Dawes had about the 2019 Cowboy gathering in Stony Plain. It ran from Aug. 16-18 and featured cowboy music, storytelling and poetry from more than 10 artists. Attendance numbers were not available by deadline, but organizers on the ground said it was the best they have had.

“We went into the weekend with a bit of a deficit but got through it,” Dawes said. “The numbers are definitely up. One crowd the first night was around 150 people.”

The gathering began 27 years ago and typically sees 2,000 attendees over the course of the weekend. They have faced issues with holding their audience and offered a free youth workshop that they hoped would draw in a number of new families.

“There was not big attendance but a lot of interest at looking into it,” Dawes said. “We got around 20 kids but a whole lot of parents said they would look at going in 2020.”

Future challenges include finding a regular home for the event, keeping costs down and raising general awareness. Dawes also said they will likely return to the Stony Plain and Parkland Pioneer Museum next year and is energized by the positive vibes he experienced this time.

“This year felt exceptional and like the good old days,” he said. “Next year I think we will be bigger again and maybe even have another stage area. We are also working with the museum to see if we cannot capitalize more on their available space.”

Artists who have played say as long as their style and spirit is alive, they will return.

“It is always nice to perform for an audience that has gathered to hear stories of our heritage,” Ryan Fritz said in an email. “Hats off to all the keepers of the west.”